Walnut Ink Crystals Techniques

There are so many things you can do with Walnut Ink Crystals

Use a cardstock or pattern paper with no coatings on it. Shiny or glittery papers do not work well.

I keep my walnut ink in a glass jar in my refrigerator when not in use, just make sure no one adds it to their favorite recipe! (too runny to be gravy!) Mark it as not to be eaten. Put a Mr. yuk sticker on it.

When applying it to your papers, use a lint free towel assigned for just this use. The towel gets all brown and your fingers may get stained too, so if you have a pretty manicure you may want to use gloves, (A cotton dish towel works best, paper towels tear and drop fibers on your piece.)

Techniques/Uses:

Click on Thumbnail for larger image, Image provided by Scrap Arts

You can wipe it on papers to age them. I like to lightly wipe across the page, then apply darker around the edges. This works really well with torn edges.

You can dunk your tags in and out of the walnut ink quickly then let it air dry.

I recommend after its just slightly damp, placing it between two lint free cloths and placing a book on it to help flatten it, or you can allow the paper to “warp” a bit if you like the effect.

You can use a wax resist technique. You can write a date or draw a pattern on your tag or paper with a white or light crayon, then wipe across the paper with the walnut ink and this will reveal your pattern or writing dramatically. Remember to draw firmly with the crayon and do not dunk this into walnut ink it doesn’t seem to work as well. J

You may also scratch into the paper with a paper clip or the tip of your craft knife making words or patterns. This scratch will darken when the ink is applied creating a very nice effect.

Putting your walnut ink into a spray bottle gives you added options. You can sprits it onto the paper for background color, or use a template shape or stencil words and spray over that template producing the words or shape in the walnut ink. Be careful not to saturate too much as it can run or bleed on some papers.

Sometimes you find Happy Accidents that you may like.

Crumple your cardstock and apply walnut ink, the creases attract more of the ink.

On Vellum – allow longer drying times, sprayed on a tag it made a neat affect.

On Mulberry paper – be careful when handling if used on mulberry, since the paper could then tear until dried. Makes a nice aging affect.

Use a Q-tip to apply and make patterns/dots on lighter colored papers.

**You can also apply other items after walnut ink to change the affect:

**Some of these ideas where received from the Scrap Arts.**

Food colors – sprinkle or drops change the colors and look of the walnut ink.

Water drops - for a spray - diluted affect.

Straight ink crystals – produces a darker affect.

Salt – apply salt to the wet walnut ink on your papers, this produces a slight resist affect.

Bleach pen-whitening affect.

Ok others have said to try this, I haven’t tried it yet, but it did look neat used after the ink to create stripes etc. This would work best on white paper, will affect the original color of the paper. I am unsure of the archival safety.

It is a neat affect for regular crafts or cards, but I do not recommend it for your scrapbooking.

And finally, the Walnut ink directions specifically state: “ Walnut Ink is water soluble, Therefore the finished product should be sprayed with a fixative or sealer.” Click here for mixing instructions

Click on thumbnail for larger Image, Image provided by Scrap Arts.

Walnut Ink Crystals

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